According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, 65% of all firefighters in the United States in 2016 were volunteers.
But the number of people joining volunteer fire departments is on the decline, and not just in Daviess County.
"The volunteer service on the fire side is really suffering," said Randy Lawson, executive director for the Kentucky Firefighter's Association. To younger people, being a volunteer firefighter "is not as appealing as it used to be," he said.
"The volunteer fire departments, not just in Kentucky but nationwide, are crying for help."
Several chiefs of area volunteer departments said they have had fewer people signing on to be firefighters for some time. Having fewer volunteers on a department's personnel roster has an impact on the response because there are simply fewer people to come to a fire or emergency run.